ACT 2 CROWNFALL

[FJ]

I THINK ACT 2 WILL BE AVAILABLE TOMORROW. THE CANDLE CAN NOW BE CLAIMED AND THE CAVE SAYS "A GLIMPSE OF SOME CHANGES IN TOMORROW'S GAMEPLAY PATCH..."

[🐾]

The candle shop was opened 9-10 hours ago, which means yesterday in US time where Valve is. So tomorrow should be today.

[Rabbit 🍌]

Originally posted by 🐾:

The candle shop was opened 9-10 hours ago, which means yesterday in US time where Valve is. So tomorrow should be today.

Indeed. This is old news already. Some people have patched together the pieces of the sneak peak on reddit. Every player had a different part of the wall in the pit illuminated.

[Weird Grim]

the text (there is a flipped letter as the first letter but i can't make it out):
romr d

whenever the sun co
reveals the whol
disrup for
replaced wit

enemy attack pr
range of

[Spruce Willis]

using the candle crashes my game lol

[KINGS!]

The candle is not the path to Act2. lol

[Deepbluediver]

Originally posted by 🐾:

The candle shop was opened 9-10 hours ago, which means yesterday in US time where Valve is. So tomorrow should be today.

Yeah, but all of Act 2 was supposed to be released "mid May" and we're now into the later part of the month. With Valve you should always expect some schedule slippage.

[AIR]

Originally posted by Deepbluediver:

Originally posted by 🐾:

The candle shop was opened 9-10 hours ago, which means yesterday in US time where Valve is. So tomorrow should be today.

Yeah, but all of Act 2 was supposed to be released "mid May" and we're now into the later part of the month. With Valve you should always expect some schedule slippage.

We are at the 22, it is just delayed a little bit and that was because there was a big tournament last week. It's just logistics: valve swore never to launch a big patch in the middle or right before a major tournament because of the technical issues and high probability of abuse - specially now that all new heroes they launch come "unbanned" from captains mode (ready for competitive). It's simple PR, really: Dota's only advertisement are the tournaments - and having a buggy tournament is just bad for viewers and a deterrant to possible new players.

I made the call last week, and I was right:

I said the patch would arrive with around 24 hours before the Reroll reset, that means a lot of people would come back and see "Dang, I only got 24 to spam and get all 10 rerolls, better make it count" - that increases the ammount of concurrent players. And then, it resets, and people just grind 10 more. In a spam of 48 hours, you got a huge concurrent users.

Add that to the fact that straglers will also have the option to complete act I and the new act 2, there will be a spike in players - which is always good, when you are stress testing a patch with huge, massive changes.

I also made the call that the new hero would arrive on Act II, and I am pretty sure I am right aswell, because of the lore: Act 2 will introduce the new hero to the narrative in a desert land, "silk road, golden age bagdad" kind of land - where civilization trives and travels: which is the perfect setting for a moving circus and the new hero. Act III isn't an option because it will happen in the ice lands of cm, ww, tusk - and those are mostly desolate. To release the hero on act IV would steal the thunder in the last chapter - which will be all about the skywraths and venge getting her throne back, maybe.

Overall, I am happy with this event. I think they added something really nice with the pixelated, retro rpg, map - they added lore, such as juggernaut's sister - which could well be a welcome persona: we already got the female disciple of AM, why not get a sister from the island of mask? It could be really, really cool.

The prices are ok, I must say I really don't like Double MMR Tokens - you can google how many cases of abuse has been proven, and we all know of some here and there. Double MMR are just bad, they make the game that already is high stakes to become even more high stakes - abusing aside - increases the toxicity and tryhardism, a lot.

The Candlemaker sure is an intersting character. There are these mobs in Final Fantasy series, Cranberry, which carry only a candle and a knife and mostly deal 1 hit kill. This guy appeared once, and you can't replay his dialogue once you watched it.

I am sure about a PVE event coming, from the likes of Aghanim's Lab, where this guy will have a role in it. We already have the model for the final boss - venge arcana third style - and the community adores the minigame: you get to play all heroes in a custom game settings where they get more powers each level, you get extra new neutral items to test, you get to enjoy puzzles and labyrinths levels, boss mechanics and just fun all around.

There are things that are gonna be absurd and rolled back for sure, I think this new "Sunrise 5 second no fog of war" is not gonna stick, just like "Fire Damage" did not stick.

But who knows, right?

All I know is that today is a day of study for me, so I just came to the forum to check some things, gonna turn of the PC, go read for 10 straight hours and come back to an exciting new patch... or don't. But I'm pretty sure it is today. So it's time again to open the wallet and have some fun.

[Deepbluediver]

Originally posted by Charm:

Originally posted by Deepbluediver:

Yeah, but all of Act 2 was supposed to be released "mid May" and we're now into the later part of the month. With Valve you should always expect some schedule slippage.

We are at the 22, it is just delayed a little bit and that was because there was a big tournament last week. It's just logistics: valve swore never to launch a big patch in the middle or right before a major tournament because of the technical issues and high probability of abuse - specially now that all new heroes they launch come "unbanned" from captains mode (ready for competitive). It's simple PR, really: Dota's only advertisement are the tournaments - and having a buggy tournament is just bad for viewers and a deterrant to possible new players.

I made the call last week, and I was right:

I said the patch would arrive with around 24 hours before the Reroll reset, that means a lot of people would come back and see "Dang, I only got 24 to spam and get all 10 rerolls, better make it count" - that increases the ammount of concurrent players. And then, it resets, and people just grind 10 more. In a spam of 48 hours, you got a huge concurrent users.

I think you're misunderstanding me- I'm not upset. I was reminding people last week who were complaining about the patch not being here yet that Valve always is loose with delivery deadlines and stretches out the actual drop-date to the latest possible moment of what they did promise.

But it's not exactly like this tournament came out of nowhere and snuck up on people, right? Valve has known that there was going to be a tournament happening at this time for a while, so if they initially scheduled a patch for the same time as a tournament, and then had to delay the patch, it's their own internal policies clashing.

Personally though, I think it's fair to call the "early" part of each month the 1st through the 10th, the "middle" of the month the 11th-20th, and the "late" part of each month the 21st-30th/31st. (February can go DIAF)
So even by that fairly generous standard, I feel its fair to say that Valve is behind on their schedule.

As another person pointed out, the next TI is in the fall, and you don't want them dropping patches during that, right? So we've kind got to get through all 4 acts at about 1 per month, or the final Act is gonna be pushed back until Halloween.

[AIR]

Originally posted by Deepbluediver:

...

Oh, for sure: Valve is known to be "laid back" - unlike many companies out there that have strick Road Maps and Schedules.

When it comes to "when it is early, mid and late" in the month, I follow the same pattern as you - taking work weeks in consideration: So early is the first two weeks; mid is the second and third week and late is the third and fourth week.

Add to that the "laid back culture", I think they decided to announce "mid may", with some linency, and it just happened that in the mid may there was a tournament happening. Sure they know in advance, but if you check the "Placeholder Art" that leaked on reddit as soon as crownfall came back, where there was a text in game saying "Someone that knows better programming then I do make a better presentation, please". I'm not paraprasing, but some people "bugged the game" and saw that message.

My point was "The patch isn't late". It's for sure coming today, a little past mid march. I'm sure the only reason it did not come out last week was due to the tournament.

When it comes to the duration of the event, I really believe they will keep each act appart a month of each other, like you said. So we get act 3 in June, act 4 in July and it will end in mid/late august, followed by TI Patch.

I feel that we are getting a huge balance patch now, with the new hero, and we will be getting multiple patches until the end of the Crownfall - cosmetics, mostly, and balance. But I am pretty sure that - until TI ends, we are gonna be playing this patch that comes today, only with extra letters.

It's not really a strech if you think about it: one new hero with aghs and aghs shard, a lot of changes that will be tested and editted over the next 3-4 months, and we play TI on this patch - enhanced, but it will be on this patch. I really don't believe they will patch a huge gameplay changes patch today and another right before TI.

During TI we will get, I believe, the same Compendium from Last Year - I wish baby roshan would be back, but I just don't know - then, after that, we might get a halloween sort of patch, maybe just a drop, and some changes, and hopefully a more fulfilling end of the year event - not just a farm for wards.

[Megitsune]

are u sure tommorow/today? i think no valve always make community angry for late update on every event/patch

[Deepbluediver]

Originally posted by Wizard:

My point was "The patch isn't late". It's for sure coming today, a little past mid march. I'm sure the only reason it did not come out last week was due to the tournament.

When it comes to the duration of the event, I really believe they will keep each act appart a month of each other, like you said. So we get act 3 in June, act 4 in July and it will end in mid/late august, followed by TI Patch.

At the time of writing, it's about 12:30 PM in the Howland and Reed Islands, the last time-zone in the world, giving Valve about ~11.5 more hours to drop the patch in time for "tomorrow".

But yes, assuming Act 2 drops around May 23rd, that would be 5 weeks after Act 1. If Valve can keep to the same 5-week schedule (and that's a big "IF", IMO, given their history of schedule slip) then Act 3 would drop around the end of June and Act 4 at the beginning of August. And that should be enough time before TI to keep them separate and distinct.
Last time I was pacing out the event, I accidentally counted 5 acts, and so I was thinking the last one would drop right in the middle of TI. My bad.

[mortacci]

Originally posted by Wizard:

Originally posted by Deepbluediver:

Yeah, but all of Act 2 was supposed to be released "mid May" and we're now into the later part of the month. With Valve you should always expect some schedule slippage.

We are at the 22, it is just delayed a little bit and that was because there was a big tournament last week. It's just logistics: valve swore never to launch a big patch in the middle or right before a major tournament because of the technical issues and high probability of abuse - specially now that all new heroes they launch come "unbanned" from captains mode (ready for competitive). It's simple PR, really: Dota's only advertisement are the tournaments - and having a buggy tournament is just bad for viewers and a deterrant to possible new players.

I made the call last week, and I was right:

I said the patch would arrive with around 24 hours before the Reroll reset, that means a lot of people would come back and see "Dang, I only got 24 to spam and get all 10 rerolls, better make it count" - that increases the ammount of concurrent players. And then, it resets, and people just grind 10 more. In a spam of 48 hours, you got a huge concurrent users.

Add that to the fact that straglers will also have the option to complete act I and the new act 2, there will be a spike in players - which is always good, when you are stress testing a patch with huge, massive changes.

I also made the call that the new hero would arrive on Act II, and I am pretty sure I am right aswell, because of the lore: Act 2 will introduce the new hero to the narrative in a desert land, "silk road, golden age bagdad" kind of land - where civilization trives and travels: which is the perfect setting for a moving circus and the new hero. Act III isn't an option because it will happen in the ice lands of cm, ww, tusk - and those are mostly desolate. To release the hero on act IV would steal the thunder in the last chapter - which will be all about the skywraths and venge getting her throne back, maybe.

Overall, I am happy with this event. I think they added something really nice with the pixelated, retro rpg, map - they added lore, such as juggernaut's sister - which could well be a welcome persona: we already got the female disciple of AM, why not get a sister from the island of mask? It could be really, really cool.

The prices are ok, I must say I really don't like Double MMR Tokens - you can google how many cases of abuse has been proven, and we all know of some here and there. Double MMR are just bad, they make the game that already is high stakes to become even more high stakes - abusing aside - increases the toxicity and tryhardism, a lot.

The Candlemaker sure is an intersting character. There are these mobs in Final Fantasy series, Cranberry, which carry only a candle and a knife and mostly deal 1 hit kill. This guy appeared once, and you can't replay his dialogue once you watched it.

I am sure about a PVE event coming, from the likes of Aghanim's Lab, where this guy will have a role in it. We already have the model for the final boss - venge arcana third style - and the community adores the minigame: you get to play all heroes in a custom game settings where they get more powers each level, you get extra new neutral items to test, you get to enjoy puzzles and labyrinths levels, boss mechanics and just fun all around.

There are things that are gonna be absurd and rolled back for sure, I think this new "Sunrise 5 second no fog of war" is not gonna stick, just like "Fire Damage" did not stick.

But who knows, right?

All I know is that today is a day of study for me, so I just came to the forum to check some things, gonna turn of the PC, go read for 10 straight hours and come back to an exciting new patch... or don't. But I'm pretty sure it is today. So it's time again to open the wallet and have some fun.

the fact is that there is always somethingmore important of the user that give them the money for maintain this ridiculous situation of dota...that is the reality.

[XycoxZthron X ;)]

crownfall was ♥♥♥♥♥♥ moneygrab from start. its just anime and hats.
valve said they will stop doing battlepass for more fluid updates etc.
the update is after 2 years and it is a pixel map with tokens and skins that all look the same .

[Sykik Syco | Skinplace]

Originally posted by Wizard:

Originally posted by Deepbluediver:

Yeah, but all of Act 2 was supposed to be released "mid May" and we're now into the later part of the month. With Valve you should always expect some schedule slippage.

We are at the 22, it is just delayed a little bit and that was because there was a big tournament last week. It's just logistics: valve swore never to launch a big patch in the middle or right before a major tournament because of the technical issues and high probability of abuse - specially now that all new heroes they launch come "unbanned" from captains mode (ready for competitive). It's simple PR, really: Dota's only advertisement are the tournaments - and having a buggy tournament is just bad for viewers and a deterrant to possible new players.

I made the call last week, and I was right:

I said the patch would arrive with around 24 hours before the Reroll reset, that means a lot of people would come back and see "Dang, I only got 24 to spam and get all 10 rerolls, better make it count" - that increases the ammount of concurrent players. And then, it resets, and people just grind 10 more. In a spam of 48 hours, you got a huge concurrent users.

Add that to the fact that straglers will also have the option to complete act I and the new act 2, there will be a spike in players - which is always good, when you are stress testing a patch with huge, massive changes.

I also made the call that the new hero would arrive on Act II, and I am pretty sure I am right aswell, because of the lore: Act 2 will introduce the new hero to the narrative in a desert land, "silk road, golden age bagdad" kind of land - where civilization trives and travels: which is the perfect setting for a moving circus and the new hero. Act III isn't an option because it will happen in the ice lands of cm, ww, tusk - and those are mostly desolate. To release the hero on act IV would steal the thunder in the last chapter - which will be all about the skywraths and venge getting her throne back, maybe.

Overall, I am happy with this event. I think they added something really nice with the pixelated, retro rpg, map - they added lore, such as juggernaut's sister - which could well be a welcome persona: we already got the female disciple of AM, why not get a sister from the island of mask? It could be really, really cool.

The prices are ok, I must say I really don't like Double MMR Tokens - you can google how many cases of abuse has been proven, and we all know of some here and there. Double MMR are just bad, they make the game that already is high stakes to become even more high stakes - abusing aside - increases the toxicity and tryhardism, a lot.

The Candlemaker sure is an intersting character. There are these mobs in Final Fantasy series, Cranberry, which carry only a candle and a knife and mostly deal 1 hit kill. This guy appeared once, and you can't replay his dialogue once you watched it.

I am sure about a PVE event coming, from the likes of Aghanim's Lab, where this guy will have a role in it. We already have the model for the final boss - venge arcana third style - and the community adores the minigame: you get to play all heroes in a custom game settings where they get more powers each level, you get extra new neutral items to test, you get to enjoy puzzles and labyrinths levels, boss mechanics and just fun all around.

There are things that are gonna be absurd and rolled back for sure, I think this new "Sunrise 5 second no fog of war" is not gonna stick, just like "Fire Damage" did not stick.

But who knows, right?

All I know is that today is a day of study for me, so I just came to the forum to check some things, gonna turn of the PC, go read for 10 straight hours and come back to an exciting new patch... or don't. But I'm pretty sure it is today. So it's time again to open the wallet and have some fun.